Headline News:

1. “Why It Feels Like Allergy Season Is Getting Longer And More Severe” • Research shows that allergy seasons may be hitting people harder by starting earlier, lasting longer, and creating more pollen than they did 30 years ago, according to a report from the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America. As pollen increases, so does hay fever. [ABC News]

Bee collecting pollen (Jenna Lee, Unsplash)

• “‘Wind Theft’: The Mysterious Effect Plaguing Wind Farms” • As offshore wind farms are expanding around the world in the race to meet net zero climate targets, a worrying phenomenon is attracting growing attention: in some conditions, wind farms can “steal” each other’s wind. Simply put, one wind farm creates a wake, slowing the wind for another. [BBC]
• “7.15 GW Of Renewables And Energy Storage Awarded Rights To Connect To NSW REZ” • The New South Wales government has awarded ten renewable energy projects with a combined 7.15 GW of energy generation and storage capacity access rights to connect to network infrastructure in what will be the state’s first renewable energy zone. [pv magazine Australia]
• “EvoLectric Repowers Medium-Duty Trucks To Keep Costs Down & Air Quality Up” • EvoLectric, a company based in California, has developed a business model in which they take class 3, 4, and 5 Isuzu N-series trucks, strip out the existing diesel powertrains, and replace them with an upgraded battery-electric powertrain. [CleanTechnica]
• “Google Will Fund Three Nuclear Projects With Elementl Power” • A nuclear developer said it has a deal with Google, with the technology company agreeing to commit funding for at least three projects, each with 600 MW of electric generating capacity. Google has thoughts to build more, with a possible goal of 10 GW by 2035. [POWER Magazine]

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Headline News:

• “World Installed Almost 600 GW Of Solar Power In 2024” • A record 597 GW of solar power was installed in 2024, and growth could hit 1 TW per year by 2030, a report shows. The SolarPower Europe report shows that the amount of solar power installed in 2024 was 33% more than the 2023 figure. In late 2024, the world hit 2 TW of total solar in operation. [reNews]

Solar array (Bluefield Solar image)

• “Neighboring States’ Nuclear Debacles Loom Over North Carolina Bill” • Proposed legislation in North Carolina to allow utility Duke Energy to charge customers for power plants still being built is taking heat, in part because similar schemes have left residents in neighboring states holding the bag for pricey abandoned nuclear projects. [Canary Media]
• “Global Ferry Electrification Accelerates: 70% Of New Orders Go Electric” • It is remarkable how fast maritime transportation is decarbonizing. Globally, 70% of ferries currently on order now feature electric drivetrains. About 15,400 ferries are operating around the world, and most operators have electric retrofit plans for existing vessels. [CleanTechnica]
• “US State Coalition Sues Trump Over Offshore Axe” • Eighteen attorneys general are suing the Trump administration over its directive to halt all federal approvals for wind energy projects. The lawsuit challenges a Presidential Memorandum of January 20 that indefinitely freezes permitting for development of wind energy pending federal review. [reNews]
• “114 People Laid Off From The National Renewable Energy Laboratory” • At least 114 people were laid off at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, an email says. The cuts affected staffers in both the research and operations sides of the lab. Staff cut included some at NREL headquarters in Golden, Colorado and some based elsewhere. [Colorado Public Radio]

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Headline News:

• “How Solar Breakthroughs And Electric Vehicles Can Protect Against Catastrophic Blackouts” • Some clean energy detractors tried to falsely blame the power outage on Spain’s reliance on renewables. One way to prevent blackouts is to have microgrids for buildings, and microgrids can be supported by EVs such as the Ford F-150 Lightning. [The Independent]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Elise240SX, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

• “Coalition Power Plan “Nuked” At Poll” • Labor’s landslide election victory shows Australians have overwhelmingly rejected the coalition’s nuclear energy plan, climate groups say. The plan proposed by the coalition to build seven reactors in Australia would not have seen the first operational until 2035 and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. [RenewEconomy]
• “New Data On Fossil Fuel Industry Emissions Could Be Pivotal In Climate Litigation” • Justin Mankin, an associate professor at Dartmouth College, and Christopher Callahan, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, wrote a study published in the journal Nature. They show how they can connect big businesses and climate damage in court. [CleanTechnica]
• “California Energy Leaders Report Progress Ahead Of Summer 2025 On Grid Reliability” • After the  climate-driven challenges of 2020 through 2022, California energy leaders are encouraged by recent progress and believe the state is better positioned to meet demand this summer, while it remains vigilant about the ongoing risks. [California Energy Commission]
• “Scientists Team Up To Publish Climate Assessment Gutted By Trump” • The American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society announced that they would team up to publish climate-related research to further a congressionally mandated assessment that had been gutted by the Trump administration. [UPI.com]

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Headline News:

• “Trump’s Budget Cuts And The Environment” • President Trump’s first hundred days included a wide range of attacks on environmental and climate initiatives. His proposed budget does the same. The document looks to curtail or cut billions of dollars for everything from drinking water and clean energy to national parks and emergency management. [ABC News]

Meadow in Jackson, Wyoming (Holly Mandarich, Unsplash)

• “With A Technology License From MIT And NREL In Hand, Comstock Fuels Aims To Produce Jet Fuel From Lignin” • It is an ideal complement to Comstock Fuels’ own technologies: just one refining step to upgrade lignin from biomass into the aromatic hydrocarbon molecules needed to produce “drop-in” synthetic aviation fuel (SAF). [CleanTechnica]
• “Germany’s Solar Power Set To Overtake Lignite In 2025” • In Germany, solar power output is expected to surpass electricity generation from lignite for the first time this year, according to the German Solar Industry Association. The group forecasts that new solar systems with a combined capacity of 17.5 GW will be connected to the grid in 2025. [MSN]
• “Hawaiian Lawmakers Raise State’s Hotel Tax To Help Islands Cope With Climate Change” • Hawaiian lawmakers passed novel legislation that will increase the state’s lodging tax to raise money for environmental protection and strengthening defenses against natural disasters fueled by climate change. Governor Josh Green indicated he will sign the bill. [ABC News]
• “Energy Storage Industry Commits $100 Billion Investment in American-Made Grid Batteries” • The American Clean Power Association announced a commitment to invest $100 billion into American-made grid batteries. It hopes the investment will fuel creation of 350,000 jobs and turn the US into a world leader for battery making. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

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Headline News:

• “Climate Change Is Making Coffee More Expensive. Tariffs Likely Will Too” • Losses from heat and drought have cut coffee production forecasts in Brazil and Vietnam, the world’s largest growers. The result is increased coffee prices. Now prices in the US will be even higher than in the rest of the world because of all coffee producers face US tariffs. [ABC News]

Coffee (dapiki moto, Unsplash)

• “IPF 2025: Canada To Roll Out 2.5-GW Offshore Auction” • Canada is ready to welcome offshore wind developers jilted by US federal policy and will launch a 2.5-GW lease auction later this year, attendees at IPF 2025 in Virginia have heard. Nova Scotia aims to launch a lease auction this fall. There will be a need to export power to the US. [reNews]
• US And Ukraine Sign Mineral Resources Agreement”” • The US and Ukraine have signed the deal to create the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, the long-awaited deal that gives the US rights to Ukrainian rare earth minerals, both sides announced. The US had delayed signing the minerals agreement until the investment fund was finished. [ABC News]
• “Jersey’s First Solar Farm Switched On” • Jersey’s first solar farm was switched on and will provide enough energy to power over 600 homes. The 11 acre site has nearly 7,500 panels and is expected to power 14% of St Clement’s homes. Jersey Electricity’s chief executive Chris Ambler said the array was important for the island’s energy independence. [BBC]
• “Germany May Get 99% Of Its Power From Solar And Wind On Thursday” • A slump in demand due to a public holiday will coincide with a surge in solar generation and the region’s first mini-heat wave. Early afternoon on Thursday, as much as 99% of consumption could be met by green energy sources, according to Bloomberg Models. [Luxembourg Times]

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